Interesting points. I agree with the notion that especially characters trump all, and that science is but a mere tool to use to assist them on their journey. My agent made the comment that if all of the science and technology were taken away from my book, the story itself, would stand on its own. And that was because of a dynamic conflict and interaction of the characters, who, in his opinion kept the pages turning. So I thought I'd nailed the most important element. But perhaps my problem lied in the concept/plot itself--in fact, idea.
Captain Zachary Crowe, owner of Planet Janitor, is in love with his busted down Russian ore freighter Shenandoah, and fancies himself an entrepreneur. He’s only been in business for four years, trying to wrangle planetary job assignments that deal with cleaning up the environment and making close solar system jumps to pick up precious ores and space trash. His crew consists of seven less than stellar professionals. Their problem is they’ve destroyed biological ecosystems and habitats through neglect, and incompetence. They’ve had bad press, bad luck, and bad breath…
Until the slick vice president of Orion Industries Real Estate Development hires Planet Janitor for a clandestine operation that entails a 26-light-year trip out to a newly found habitable planet in the Tau Ceti system
Planet Janitor finds out too late that they’ve been suckered into a job that entails disposing of millions of skeletons—a genocidal graveyard. They soon find out what killed this indigenous species and, being ill prepared and unarmed, are caught up in a fever-pitched battle for their lives. They must contend with genetically engineered marsupial lions. These crewmembers, who’ve been failures and outcasts all of their lives, transform into a fighting unit that refuses to go quietly into the night. When it appears that they have vanquished the vicious creatures, they are faced with the arrival of the aliens who created these pet animal soldiers…then the real fight begins.
I think this story combines the best elements of Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, with a breathless fight to the finish, along with the inconceivable measures used to survive on a hostile planet that can be likened to the perils of Robinson Crusoe on Mars. The action is gritty and visual, while the characters discover that heroism is a trait that is best achieved via cooperative teamwork, self-worth, sacrifice and love for each other.
Ok, if this short synopsis had a log line it would probably read "Just another survival story on another planet."
Even though the science is different and it has an unexpected twist ending, the fact remains that if you take all the nuts and bolts out of the story, it is only eight stranded crewmembers fighting for their lives on a hostile world. Perhaps this is the scope that the editor narrowed it down to, and why she passed. Forget about sub-plots or any other elements, I believe that the basic plot has probably been done to death with none too many variations to make it fresh, or come alive.
I will watch for this in the future submissions and see if this might be the case from more than one editor.
Tri
Just a thought.
